The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-11-30
INHERITING A WIFE.

turned from his uncle toward the pale girl
standing in the window
ssGoodby, Frank, she said, iistlessly, prof.
fering him slender white hand.
lie took the hand and bending over, lightly
ton he'd her forehead with his lips.
soc raised her head to address him with
forced effort, and he was gone
s'fhe young fool thinks he can defy me,n
said Mr.. John Duncan, angrily, but with
love and pity rising to his kindly gray eyes
as he bent them upon Helen.
The latter was the rich old mans adopted
daughter, and in her seemed conferred all his
happiness She was his idol and he had
| planned to make her his heiress, or that she
should share all he hado this worlds goods
with Frank Duncan, his nephew But this
latter contingency was TO be that these young
people should have his fortune together only
as man and wife,
Helen Morley had been an orphan ever
since she could remember. She had endeared
herself TO old Mr.. Duncan by her sweet, UNI
selfish life and her devotion to him as her
benefactor.
She and Frank had been thrown much to-
gether, as q matter of course and old Mr..
| Duncan, as he looked at his favorite nephewis
handsome, animated face, and then at Helen's
sweet oval picture, framed by her mass of
bright hair, when the two were together,
declared to himself that they were made for
each other, and that it was plainly the work
| of heaven that they should have been thrown
accidentally into each Others way
! But he had just now serious misgivings
whether or not heaven ever had anything TO do
with such young scapegrace as his nephew.
| He had just received terrible shock and
he was stirred by anger, disappointment and
pity for his fair Helen.
! Then, too, he was placed in so delicate a
position that he hardly knew what to say to
| her.
!. He had no assurance that Frank had ever
spoken word of love to this girl
But he can't defy me with impunity,n
! growled the irate uncle, as Helen had not re-
| piled to his first remark about the young gem
| tlenan in question. ~ will not leave him a
cent / win make new will He shall be a
heggar for all he'll get from me,n concluded
John Duncan, stamping his foot fercely.
s'Oh, fathcrin said Helen appealingly
"What has he done to anger you sog'
"DonelF shouted the old man, fairly exas-
| Ierated by this question, forgetting at the
moment that Helen did not share his news,
and therefore indignant that she should not
join with him in condemning the young
mans hcinous crime. "Donel" he repeated
/ III ilStiik tputa VI lIeSuly kl1ulcQ anger
.sWhat hasn't he donea Upset all my plans
Destroyed all my happiness Tells me he's
in love with that French girl Elise Courtois
and that his happiness his very life, depends
upon his marrying her. And he has the
effroutery to ask my approval of such
ridiculous step s
The old man paused only at sight OF Helen,
who had sunk, pale and trembling, upon a
sofa, Her delicate fingers were interlaced
| and there was a look of such unutterable
pain in her face that even Mr. Duncan's an
| ger fled before IT,
Then with sudden Thought his anger rose
again and he demanded:
Has the villain deceived you, Heleni Tell
me the truth By heaven, II he has Pip
"Oh, no, no; he has never spoken to me Of
---of''----
''There, there, my dear, / only wished to
know; meant it all for your good y said Mr..
Duncan tenderly.
Helen fed to her chamber to think and to
recover, il possible, from the sudden blow she
had received
There had been no spoken words of love be-
tween them for the three years that Frank
had been a constant visitor TO his uncle's,
and yet she had thought had believed
yes, she had hoped, that the first love of her
pure young heart had found safe resting
| place, md that it was reciprocated by him,
although as yet not proclaimed, for some
good and sufficient reason on his part.
But it was all over now. Her eyes were
opened to the Notifying truth She cried
for pure shame at first, then for disappoint-
ment. Her face was all afiame as she
thought of tho possibility of the knowledge
on the part Of others of her misplaced love-
| Then her checks and brow became deadly
cold as she realized that her young hopes
were all withered and dead.
When Mr.. John Duncan saw that the light
had gone out from Helen's eyes his anger
toward his nephew knew no bounds He
knew that Frank had gone from his presence
with a fixed determination to win the girl,
Elise Courtois, If possible, in spite of ali OPP
position.
And he knew what he could not speak Of
TO Helen, that she had loved his headstrong
and misguided nephew
The old man was closeted with his lawyer
soon after this occurrence for several hours
one day, and the result of the conference was
a new win.
~
Three years are not much A mere spot
on the ages. A bagatelle Of weeks and
months frittered away in frivolity and
trifiing.
Three years are an agel A heavy, leaden
period stamped upon life into which are
crowded 50 much Of mental pain and anguish
that the rest Of that life ought to be sum
shine and flowers to compensate for their
misery
These three years following the departure
OF Frank Duncan in disgrace from his uncle's
home had been to Helen Morley joyless years
OF silent suffering, unshared by sympathetic
heart, unspolken 10 plying ear. She had
suffered in silence, and had tried to walk her
allotted path with outward composure. And
old John Duncan, though he had been more
tender and solicitous Of her welfare than ever,
saw that he could do but little to tighten her
burden of SORROW
But John Duncan had gone now. There
was no longer even his loving care to shield
Helen from her own misery.
IL had been but few weeks since tho old
J man had blessed Helen with his dying breath
and then passed away. She was sole posses
sor Of his wealth Frank Duncan had been
summoned, but was somewhere abroad, pur-
, sung his ignis fatuus In the shape Of fortune
and Elise Courtois. He had lost sight Of the
French girl with whom he had become infat-
/, a.ed about the time his uncle had dismissed
MIN angrily from his house. Following up o
llew no overlook her finally in Paris.
It was chance meeting on one Of the gay
/. stroets Of the French city. The young ma 4
was wild with Joy as he espied her coming to-
ward him. He rushed upon her with far
more Of enthusiasm than discretion.
> Elise drew back in surprise at his ELUSIVE
greeting.
Have you forgotten all the past, then,
I EliseTa asked Frank, bitterly, as he saw by
her cool demeanor that she had changed.